Pneumatic ore separator



May 5, 1925. 1,537,024

c. as. BURCH PNEUMATIC ORE SEPARATOR Filed March 27. 1923 WITNESS: 1 INVENTOR.

Um. i. $3 QMQQ A TTORNE Y.

directedthrough a'bl'ast tube having me chanlcal means-integral thereof and motion,

removed, and: a small Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED ,STATES CHARLES s. BURCH, or 'DEVORE, CALIFORNIA.

PNEUMATIC ORE SEPARATOR.

Application filed March 27, 1923. Serial No. 628,160.

To all whom it'may concern: i

Be it, known that I, CHARLES E. .S. BURCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Devore, in the county of San Bernardino new and useful improvement in pneumatic ore separators for separating, metals of high specific gravity, such as gold, platinum, and kindred elements, from associated gangue matter by means of a current of air imparted thereto, all being designed to cooperate withthe blast, of which the following is a specification.

illustrated on the accon'ipanying sheet 'of drawings, in which Figure 1 is'a fside'elevzvtion with a small portion cut away.

Figure 2 is a vertical section, longitudinal of the machine, with fan and driving gears and hopper cut away.

I F igure3 is" a perspective", of one ofthe blast tube sections showing the arrangementof the blades, or pockets, and the hub,

by which the'said section 'islmountedupon the tube shaft." Similar numerals refer to similiar parts throughout the views. The

blast tube, as mounted on the tube shaft,

may be composed of any number of tube sections, such as may be found necessary for the particular material being handled.

e To transmit motion to tl'le blast tubev in correct ratio with the speed of the fan 3, I prefer to employ a mitervgear 2 engaging with a transverse shaftQ-l, which in turn will transmit motion through the encased worm gear 22, to the main tube shaft 8, and

the blast tube assembled thereon.

The tube shaft 8 being journaled in the bearings 23 and 9, the driven endof the fan shaft is not shown and is not important in connection with this application, as it, will be readily understood that motion can be transmitted thereto by means of a pulley and belt or by means of a direct connected motor, Referring to Figure 2, it will be noted that theblast tube is assembled on the main shaft 8 by means of the hub '18,

and spokes 19, adjusted relative to the ad jacent tube section, by the set screws 20, and

are thus maintained in rigid driving con-.

nection with the main shaft 8. Interior of the blast tube, I employ a multiplicity of blades 17 forming a series of pockets 28 be- .ably and State of California, have invented a;

portion of the fan case i tween the adjacent blades rigidly secured to blast tube by such material as may precipitate from the blast, and more particularly to augment the saving of the precious metal by repeated exposure of the gangue to the separating influence of the air blast.

7 Referring again to Figure 1, the blast tube is shown at a comparatively high angle v of elevation, and there is provided a screw I attain these ob ects by the mechanism 26 operating through a nut '25, a toggle. joint lilacting between the'major sill ll, and "ground sill 1G co-operative with the hinge lfi and rotatable by the crank 11,to

properly adjust and maintain the angle of elevation of the said-blast tube as may be found most eflicient with the particular matrix being Worked.

hemat'erial to betseparated will be fed into the hopper 4;, and carried forward by the conduit 5, to the flat distributing plates 27, and thereby be distributed into the blast in thin fiat layers corresponding numerically to the number of distributing plates 27 employed. The specific function of the distributing plates 27 isto make complete and intimate mixture of the gangue with the air blast immediately, as the process of separation is initiated in the blast tube. a

The material thus delivered into the air current is not carried forward any considerable distance within the tube, but descends through the air current in a modified parabolic line to the bottom of the blast tube, being there deposited in the midst of the blades 17 with those elements of lighter specific gravity advanced approximately twelve inches toward the muzzle 0f the tube; while those elements of higher specific gravity are not advanced to exceed three inches beyond the pointof intake and those elements of intermediate specific gravity are progressively I arranged between these two extremes, the blast tube being continuously rotated, picks up at once the material thus distributed and carries it to the inner top of the blast tube by medium of the blades or pockets 17 at or near which point said blades automatically unload themselves, redelivering the material to a repeated effort of the blast as before de scribed. This continuously repeated effort,

llO

link

which in each succeeding step finds the material more completely separated, finally accomplishes a very complete and net separation of those elements of extreme high gravity such as gold and platinum from the matrix of gangue. It will be noted that particles released by the blades or pockets, at or near the inner top 015 the blast tube (the blast not being in operation) would descend on a vertical line, which tact considered relative of the high angle of tube elevation, as shown in the drawings, would cause such particles to trend backward toward the breech of the blast tube to the distance of approximately one half the length of a tube section. 'lheretorc, a quantity of material, such as sand, should it bc.placed within the muzzle of the blast tul e, and said tube rotated (no air blast being present) it would reach the rear end or breech oi said tube at the completion oi the twelfth revolution thereof, whereas with the blast operative at proper adjusted tension only those elements of high gravity would trend backwards, while lower gravities (which are ordinarily carried forward a distance of twelve inches in each separate discharge of the blades) would ultin'iately be carried out at the muzzle of the blast tube and owing to the direction of the blast and the construction of the annular opening 7, wherein a dead air space is established immediately adjacent out the annular openings, the lighter material is suc cessfully carried over and by said annular openings, while those elements of high gravity, which are trending backward toward the breech of the blast tube sections, would readily find the aforesaid dead air space and be thereby precipitated through the said annular opening into the catch basin 13.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secured by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a device of the class described, a main supporting and driving shaft, a blast tube composed of a series of tube units adjustably secured thereon, a frame embodying main bearings to rotatably support said main shaft in operative alignment with a blast fan, means to transmit motive power to the said main shaft and the blast tube assembly, a catch basin disposed longitudinally of and below said blast tube assembly substantially as shown.

2. In a device of the class described, a main supporting and driving shaft, blast tube composed of units adjustably secured on the said main supporting driving shalt, means such as main bearings supporting said main shaft in operative alignment with the outlet of the blast fan, means to transmit motive power to the said main shaft and the blast tube assembly, a catch basin rigidly supported longitudinally of and adjacent to the bottom of said blast tube assembly, means to control the angle of elevation oi. the said blast tube, substantially as shown.

3. In a device of the class described, a main driving shaft, a blast tube assembly mounted in series thereon, means comprising a frame and bearings mounted thereon to rotatably support said main drive shaft in operative alignment with a blast tan, means cooperative with the said blast fan and said drive shaft to transmit motive power to the said blast tube assembly.

CHAS. E. S. BURCH. 

